I tell myself I hate him, but every time he walks into the room, my body betrays me. How can I want him and fear him in the same moment?

They told me he’d mess with my head. Make it go to war with my body.

But I didn’t realize it would be complete anarchy.

I should’ve known better. When Mount’s involved, there are no rules.

I will not surrender. I will not show weakness. I’ll stand my ground and make it out of this bargain with my heart and soul intact.

But he has other plans . . .

Defiant Queen is the second book of the Mount Trilogy. Mount and Keira's story concludes in Sinful Empire.

Lachlan Mount is all about power, money, and control. People fear him. He is intimidating and known to be ruthless. Nothing usually phases him. But Keira Kilgore is testing that. She pushes him to his boundaries. She is becoming his addiction and a distraction. It all started with a power play and a debt, but it is becoming more. And their relationship could threaten Mount's perfectly controlled life and world order.

Keira found herself indebted to Mount and was basically at his mercy. And he knew just what he wanted from her initially. She pushes against the bars in her guilded cage. She is defiant, outspoken, rebellious, and strong-willed. But the more time she is around Mount, the more he is able to use her own body against her. She may fight him in almost every aspect of life, but in the bedroom he can bring her body to heal like no one else.

This follows them as their initial deal and situation continues to evolve and change. It seems to keep evolving as they both begin to have realizations and develop more of an attachment. I really enjoyed getting to understand more about Mount. I feel like this book humanizes him more, and I honestly like him even though he is an anti-hero with a deadly and dangerous personality. There is an underlying need in him that Keira seems to pull out of him. I loved seeing under his layers and him off balance at times. And Keira just pushes and challenges him like no other. He pushes back. Each win some and lose some. She hates that she wants him. He does not want to crave her. But she makes him want to break some of his longstanding rules.

He might be able to satisfy her physically, but what about emotionally? Mount is supposed to be a man void of emotions and attachments, And if she gives in does she lose herself or her independence?

His reach not only involves her daily personal life, but also begins extending into her business and other areas of her life. She is as devoted to her work as he is to his, but also fiercely independent and prideful.

This handles the cliffhanger of the first book, and brings us all the way to another exciting ending that made me want to have book three right away. It has some twists, surprises, and a fun cameo.

I can't wait to see what happens next and see where this couple goes in the last book. They've got explosive chemistry and bedroom compatibility. They've got a connection. They've got power struggles. But I really think their personalities and skills also give them the potential to be a real power couple, and to have an intense bond that neither ever thought they would be find. This series has me totally captivated and invested in these two. I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Keira is with Mount as a payment for a debt. She is reeling from her discovery at the end of Ruthless King, and Mount isn’t much happier about what she learned. Though she is off balance, and out of her element, she is determined to show no weakness to the man whose name alone sends people running. She may be his plaything, but she is going to fight hard to keep herself while under his control.

I loved the character development through this book. Typically the middle of a trilogy is my least favorite part, but this one kept moving and gave so much information about both Keira and Mount that it didn’t feel like that middle piece that I usually tolerate between the beginning and ending installments of trilogies. I loved the pieces of Mount that Kiera starts to see (and as readers we get more than even she knows).

They are fiery together, particularly as Keira continues to challenge Mount privately and publicly, searching for a weakness or limit to his control. There is no question that they have physical chemistry, but the deeper Keira finds herself into her time with Mount, the harder it becomes to keep herself from losing herself in his games.

Mount is so good at manipulating a situation, it is difficult for Keira to know when he is being genuine and when she is falling into his traps. He has contacts everywhere and even as she works to further her own goals, she can’t help but wonder if she is working under her own power or through his influence.

The direction these two head and the vulnerability that they are learning to give the other promises a final book that is full of push, pull, and drama. I can’t wait for the third and final installment to find how they will continue to push each other as they work through their arrangement. There are more struggles to come, I’m sure, including what exactly everything means between them, but I am waiting at the edge of my seat to jump back into their world. I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She's also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she's ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com

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The books reviewed on this blog are purchased with our own money, won in a giveaway, or have been provided by an author, publisher, publicist/tour company, Netgalley, or Edelweiss. If we've received the book from any of the above promotional companies they come free of charge in exchange for our honest review. This, however, does not affect our opinions of the books or the content of our reviews.